


Sweet Sorrow

by PortalPanda



Category: Tron (Movies), Tron - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:55:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24457813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PortalPanda/pseuds/PortalPanda
Summary: Tron won’t admit how bad things are. That doesn’t mean Yori doesn’t know.
Relationships: Tron (Tron)/Yori (Tron)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 12





	Sweet Sorrow

Tron has fought the most fearsome enemies on multiple systems, but he tries to avoid fights with Yori when at all possible. 

Maybe  _ this _ isn’t a fight— neither one of them is angry, but Yori is very unhappy, and since Tron doesn’t know how to ease her worries he tries to give himself more time to think. He paces through their quarters, trying to put some distance between them, which would be much more effective if Yori wasn’t following him, feeling about as heard and useful as a bit.

“I’m worried about you.” 

Tron closes his eyes as Yori catches his wrist. Usually her touch is welcome, but right now the contact feels more restraining than comforting. At the tug on his arm Tron stops his pacing and finally turns to face her. 

Yori has always been bright, filled with energy. She glows with happiness, laughter, hope— and her light-lines burn even brighter around Tron, because she loves as fiercely as he protects. 

But now her light is dim, and he doesn’t know how he hasn’t noticed sooner. 

Her eyes, usually filled with playful light, are dull and tired. Even the deep blue of her light-lines has faded to something weaker. Tron’s core aches; he has never seen her look so sad or exhausted, and he knows it’s his fault. What kind of security program is he if he can’t even make his own partner feel safe?

“Yori, I’m fine.” 

“For how long?” The worry in her voice is heated, and Tron frowns. Part of him wants to match her stubbornness with his own, but he knows his expression shows more concern (for her) than sternness. He brushes his hand against one of the light-lines on her arm, transmitting [ _ calm _ ]. Tron pushes his own emotions down; he can feel grief and fear rolling off Yori’s circuits in waves. “You’re taking damage constantly, Tron.”

He gives her a smile, reassuring and easy. Not entirely real.

“I’m a security program.”

“Meant to defend the system from grid bugs and viruses. Not other programs— not like this.” Yori squeezes his shoulders like she’s trying to convince herself he’s still there. Like she can make him listen. “Programs are turning against you on the streets because you defend the ISOs. Clu is acting stranger by the cycle. Flynn is the only User who can help us here, and half the time he’s gone.” 

She links her arms behind his neck, pulling him closer. Tron complies without thought. Yori’s affection is tactile; she is always tugging him closer to wherever she is, and he is happy to follow. But usually her circuits hold more warmth than this; usually she wears a teasing smile. 

Her eyes, her voice, pierce him to his core, and they are filled with grief. 

“Every time you leave, I’m afraid you won’t come back.”

She transmits a desperate [ _ stay _ ], and he shudders at the intensity of her fear. 

Tron frowns— finally allows some of his own worry to show as he tightens his embrace.

He is failing. He is failing the ISOs, he is failing Flynn, he is failing  _ Yori _ . He has never known how to tell her that he fights for her as much as any of the Users, but it’s true. Even if he wasn’t a security program he would fight to protect the system because she lives here, and he needs to keep her safe— he doesn’t know what he would do without her, and he doesn’t want to. And Tron is well aware that Yori doesn’t need his protection as much as his programming tells him she does— she can fight for herself— but she deserves to feel safe after everything they’ve been through. 

Neither of them will forget the long cycles they were separated by the MCP, or her near deletion from the old ENCOM server before Flynn brought them here. They have already experienced too many situations in which both of them felt helpless, and Tron never wanted her to feel that way again. But now Yori is afraid because of him, and like so many of the problems they face, he doesn’t know how to fix it.

“What would you have me do?” He asks. His voice is low, gentle, and she closes her eyes as his hands cup her face. “It’s my function to defend innocent programs and protect the Grid. I can’t stand by while the ISOs are derezzed.”

Yori lingers in his embrace for a moment longer before she pulls away, bowing her head against the emblem on his chest. The noise she makes is something like a laugh, but Tron has never heard a laugh sound so tired or sad.

“I know. I’m glad you protect them, Tron. But sometimes I wonder who’s protecting you.” 

Tron blinks; an emotion he doesn’t recognize flickers through his circuits. Whatever it is, he doesn’t like it.

Yori steps back, crossing her arms, and he misses the contact. Her light-lines glow a brighter shade of blue, but Tron knows it’s from urgency more than hope. The air between them begins to feel charged. 

“Have you asked Flynn if he can make more changes from outside the system?” 

Tron shakes his head, and tries to ignore the frustration building in his circuits. He and Yori have had this conversation too many times before; it never stops them from having it again.

“It isn’t our place to question the Users.”

“Then don’t think of it as questioning.” The angry edge has returned to her voice. “Think of it as helping him run a safer, more efficient system. You can give him more information, Tron. You know what things are like when Flynn isn’t here. He doesn’t understand how bad it is. If he did—” Yori stops herself from finishing that thought, but she’s far from repentant. Her eyes burn with determination while his are filled with disapproval. “If you won’t talk to him I can, but I’m  _ sure _ you don’t want that.” 

“ _ Yori _ ,” 

She flinches, but not because of him.

“It’s Flynn.” For all the noise she was just making, she suddenly feels very small. “He’s requesting entry to the system.” 

They share a look that seems to last a lifetime. Neither of them dares to move. 

“I have to go.” 

“ _ Tron- _ “ 

Yori steps in front of him, blocking the door. She expects this to rouse his anger but when she looks up he’s smiling at her. 

Tron draws her closer, one of his arms wrapping around her waist, and she returns his embrace with a sense of urgency.

“It’s alright, Yori.” He murmurs into her skin, tracing one of the light-lines on her shoulder. She closes the gap between them, trembles as they kiss and her circuits flood with [ _ safe/love _ ]. Tron is still smiling when they pull apart, though she doesn’t understand how. “I’ll be back,” he assures her.

Yori tries to ignore the sense of foreboding she feels, along with the voice that tells her this will be the last time she holds him. She gives a wavering smile (she will not break in front of him); squeezing his shoulders and allowing her hands to slip down his arms.

“Stay safe. Please.” 

Tron catches one of her hands, and gives it a quick kiss before disappearing out the door.

That’s the last thing she says to him for a very long time.

**Author's Note:**

> This one took longer than I expected so comments are greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading! More Tron fic is on the way!


End file.
